Arizona will have its day in court. The Supreme Court opted this week to review the state’s crackdown on illegal immigration, which the Barack Obama administration says usurps the federal government’s enforcement role.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco previously agreed with the administration, blocking implementation of four provisions of the Arizona law, including its requirement that state and local law enforcement officers determine the status of individuals they stop or detain if the officers think they may be in the country illegally. This “papers, please” element of the law has been widely criticized but also emulated, most recently by Alabama.

In its court filing, the state said its 370-mile border with Mexico is a gateway for half the illegal immigrants to the U.S. This, the state said, imposes unique burdens — such as high crime rates and the cost of providing health care and education to illegal immigrants. “Arizona has repeatedly asked the federal government for more vigorous enforcement of the immigration laws, but to no avail,” the brief reads. Read more …

Common Sense Immigration means policies and programs that promote a healthy and robust Texas economy, support and strengthen families, encourage integration of newcomers, and provide for the well-being of all Texans over the long-term. It means avoiding policies and programs that waste limited local and state government resources, promote distrust and fear among communities, or take resources away from top public safety priorities. And, Common Sense Immigration means grounding public safety discussions in reliable information and best practices, and avoiding fear-mongering or scapegoating.
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